"Lord, this recitation of more than 150 training rules comes every fortnight. I cannot train in reference to them."

"Monk, can you train in reference to the three trainings: the training in heightened virtue, the training in heightened mind, the training in heightened discernment?"

"Yes, lord, I can train in reference to the three trainings: the training in heightened virtue, the training in heightened mind, the training in heightened discernment."

"Then train in reference to those three trainings."

AN 3.83

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

don't worry. Get the basics covered: A good understanding of the noble eightfold path, the four noble truths, how to meditate and you're fine.

The reason you see many very specific questions / topics is that people sometimes benefit from input to figure out things they stumble upon in their own practice. Dhammawheel is helpful for that, but most questions solve themselves via practicing the noble eightfold path. Bhikkhu Manapo once suggested to apply KISS to the practice: Keep It Simple, Stupid!It's a good advice not just for starters, if you ask me

There is a tremendous body of information out there (not just on DW), but you do not need to know all of it to practice. If you learn the core principals you will realize that a great deal of what is out there serves to drive those principals home, and you can have a fulfilling practice without knowing them all.

I think much depends on what you want out of the practice and how far you are willing to go. This level of devotion will help you apply what you learn to your daily life. This is the important part of the practice - living it. Don’t worry about every little detail. You can spend a lifetime trying to memorize every detail, but unless you are applying it to your life it is useless.

There is a tremendous body of information out there (not just on DW), but you do not need to know all of it to practice. If you learn the core principals you will realize that a great deal of what is out there serves to drive those principals home, and you can have a fulfilling practice without knowing them all.

I think much depends on what you want out of the practice and how far you are willing to go. This level of devotion will help you apply what you learn to your daily life. This is the important part of the practice - living it. Don’t worry about every little detail. You can spend a lifetime trying to memorize every detail, but unless you are applying it to your life it is useless.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

In my opinion, Buddhism isn't about knowledge, it's about wisdom, which represents itself in feelings rather than intellectual stuff. I think it's always good to have a solid basis in your practice rather than knowledge. Because thoughts are always wrong, as in not 100% correct. Some take the way with suttas leading their practice, others take the way of practice leading the suttas. It's just what you prefer, but in the end even suttas are not right, because they are knowledge, not wisdom. The Buddha's insights were very simple; it's just like it is. But a problem arises when we don't see how it is, so he used many words to get us to change our view. But these words were not the view itself. So no need to remember the words if we can just see.

It's like somebody trying to explain what an elephant looks like. He can talk for hours and hours, but it's better if we just take a look. So instead of arguing whether it's green or red, it turns out to be grey.

reflection wrote:In my opinion, Buddhism isn't about knowledge, it's about wisdom, which represents itself in feelings rather than intellectual stuff. I think it's always good to have a solid basis in your practice rather than knowledge. Because thoughts are always wrong, as in not 100% correct. Some take the way with suttas leading their practice, others take the way of practice leading the suttas. It's just what you prefer, but in the end even suttas are not right, because they are knowledge, not wisdom. The Buddha's insights were very simple; it's just like it is. But a problem arises when we don't see how it is, so he used many words to get us to change our view. But these words were not the view itself. So no need to remember the words if we can just see.

It's like somebody trying to explain what an elephant looks like. He can talk for hours and hours, but it's better if we just take a look. So instead of arguing whether it's green or red, it turns out to be grey.

Thanks Guys and Girls, I found all of your responses to be very encouraging. I particularly liked the quoted response from 'Reflection'. Wisdom takes time though and sometimes skilful means are almost impossible to come by.

It makes me think of how sensitive people can be and also cultural differences. To be skilful requires a lot of patience and sometimes an unskilful word has effects that seems to never go away. I would have given up everything I have if I could spend a day or two in the Buddha's presence.